Skill-Driven Programs
Critical and Engaged Thinking Starts Here
Circa’s skill-driven programs teach critical thinking skills to high school students.
Across each course and throughout an entire program, students build up their critical thinking toolkits.
Why a Skill-Driven Program?
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Gain Critical Thinking Skills
Students learn crucial skills like making an argument, analyzing a source, and presenting their research. Skills are at the forefront of our courses; they are not something we hope that students will pick up along the way. These skills set a solid foundation for engaged thinking.
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Learn Actively
Circa courses are seminars with student participation at the forefront. Circa students do not watch videos made for thousands of students. Students instead learn to express their ideas dynamically. Seminars also introduce high school students to the rigors of college courses.
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Meet Your Goals
Our skill-based programs are customizable to fit your goals, whether you want to improve in your schoolwork, ace the AP, or create a college admissions portfolio. Circa students also choose the historical eras they want to study.
Design Your Custom Program
All skill-driven programs are fully customizable. Students choose both the skills they want to target and the content tracks they want to follow. A Circa expert will work with you to design the program that best meets your academic aims.
Step 1: Choose Your Skills
Circa students progress through four levels of skill-building. Within these levels, students choose the particular skills that they want to improve.
AP students often focus on argumentation and source analysis. Advanced students prioritize digital humanities to make stand-out projects for college applications. Students looking to make general academic improvements focus on writing skills.
Step 2: Select Your Content Track
Circa courses focus on historical case studies. These moments from the past will give you a framework within which you can develop your own historical skills. Students choose from three content tracks: US History, Modern Europe, and Modern World, all of which align with the expectations for the AP history exams. Choose a track based on your current high school history course or challenge yourself with a new topic.
US History
Learn how revolutions have shaped the history of the United States.
Modern Europe
Understand how competing ideas about European cooperation and competition have shaped the continent today.
Modern World
Study how contacts between societies and nations across the globe have built the interconnected world of today.
See How a Circa Program Works
Syllabus
Want to see how Circa courses to teach specific critical thinking skills? Check out a sample syllabus to see how skillsets built across a course.
Courses
Curious how students build their skills across an entire Circa program? Check out our full course catalog. Students can choose their target skills within each level of the program.
Program
Curious how skill-building and content tracks combine in a final program? Check out sample programs in all three content tracks: US history, modern Europe, and modern world.
Circa Helps Students Stand Out
Our skill-driven programs help students stand out in academics and college admissions.
Develop a Project
Research projects help you share your ideas with the world and help you stand out to admissions committees. Circa gives you the skills you need to conduct your project, the context in which to pose questions, and the guidance to bring your projects to life.
Learn Ivy-League Expectations
Want to know what it’s like to study at one of the world’s top universities? Circa instructors have all taught in a top-ten school. Our PhD experts teach high school students the skills and critical thinking required to excel in top programs.
Learn More About Our Skill-Driven Programs
Our New Student page walks prospective students through Circa’s programs, explains how strong critical thinking skills can help students stand out, and gives advice on how to best prepare a Circa application.
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Pricing and Packages
